The New Ultra HD

It's taken some time, but ultra-high-definition (UHD, or 4K) is now effectively the standard resolution for TVs larger than 40 inches. CES just passed, however, and we got a glimpse at the next step: 8K. If you haven't yet upgraded to a 4K TV yet (or if you just did), the idea of 8K on the horizon is reasonably irritating. Let me assuage your fears and anger by explaining just what 8K is and how long we'll be waiting for it.

8K is a higher resolution standard than 4K, quadrupling the total number of pixels just like 4K did with 1080p. 8K is 7,680 by 4,320 resolution, or approximately 8,000 horizontal pixels. 4K, by contrast, is around 4,000 horizontal pixels at 3,840 by 2,160, and 1080p is around 2,000 horizontal pixels at 1,920 by 1,080. Just as there are twice as many horizontal pixels for each resolution, there are also twice as many vertical pixels. This means each step quadruples the number of pixels, and that 8K has 16 times the number of pixels as 1080p.

Why are they called 8K and 4K instead of, say, 2,160p and 4,320p? Basically, it's easier to say and write. The higher the numbers, especially when they aren't nice, round numbers, the more confusing it gets (though we have seen 4K referred to as 2,160p in some technical specifications). 4K and 8K are simple terms that get the point across by rounding up the number of horizontal pixels. 4K is also referred to as ultra-high-definition, or UHD, so 8K might eventually get its own descriptor at some point.

So There Are 8K TVs Now? I Just Got 4K!

No, there aren't 8K TVs. At least, there aren't any that are available to consumers in North America. Every 8K TV we've seen so far, and we've seen several over the last few years at CES, has been a proof-of-concept of the higher resolution. Just because LG, Samsung, Sony, and other TV manufacturers show off 8K screens doesn't mean they're actually releasing them to the public. They're showing what they can do, and plan to do in the future. These aren't consumer models.

According to an HDMI Forum press conference at CES 2018, only 400,000 8K TVs will ship in 2018, and they'll almost entirely be in China. Even in 2020, they estimate approximately 900,000 8K TVs shipping, with at least half in China. The first 8K consumer TVs are going to be niche to the point of nearly being custom orders, and they won't be hitting North America or Europe first. It will take at least a year before we see the first consumer 8K screens leave Asia.

But Is 8K Coming Soon? Should I Wait for It?

8K is coming, but it won't be feasible for consumers for a while. Samsung unveiled the Q900FN TV at IFA earlier this year, and it looks like the first consumer-available 8K TV to be released by a major manufacturer. This 85-inch TV uses the same quantum dot panel technology as the company's Q9FN line, which impressed us with its color gamut.

Samsung plans to release the Q900FN in the United States in late October, but don't expect it to show up at Best Buy any time soon. The company hasn't announced specific pricing or availability for the TV, but considering the 75-inch 4K Q9FN is $6,000, an even bigger panel with four times the pixels will be at least five digits.

There's another consumer hurdle for 8K that Samsung is trying to downplay with its upconversion technology: the lack of 8K content. It took years of development for 4K video to become standardized in streaming and physical media. Even with the Q900FN and any other 8K TVs available to buy in the United States, you won't actually have anything to watch on it. Unless you have the most absurdly powerful gaming computer on the planet or access to experimental broadcaster streams, you won't be getting any 8K video. Instead you'll be processing 4K or lower resolution video and upconverting it to 8K. Samsung's upconversion system might be technically impressive, but you can't synthesize fine details from nothing, and upconversion is always inferior to native video.

Is 8K Better Than 4K?

That's very hard to nail down. Just like the change to HDTVs and then to 4K, screen size and distance to the screen is a big factor. If you're watching from a couch, you won't notice much of a difference between 1080p and 4K on a TV smaller than 40 inches. The distinction between 4K and 8K will likely be similar, though we haven't seen enough to test yet.

So far, we've only seen 8K TVs at CES, IFA, and other events where manufacturers demonstrate their new technology. It's been consistently eye-catching, but it's also set up with very large, prototype screens in an environment where we have no direct control and little context for layout. According to the eyes of Ajay Kumar and Will Greenwald at these events, 8K might be a bit sharper, but not enough to convince either of them that it's a vital upgrade just yet. No reviewers know just how much better it looks, because we haven't had enough time with these new TVs to compare them. Of course they look really sharp, but whether that's a difference that will matter when you're on the couch and the TV is ten feet away remains to be seen.

As for high dynamic range (HDR), 8K will almost certainly support it in some form. That form also probably doesn't exist yet. HDR is constantly evolving year to year, and formats like broadcast-friendly hybrid log gamma (HLG) and dynamic metadata-equipped HDR10+ are still being developed. The format of HDR that 8K will use is likely a long way away. On the bright side, that means 8K HDR, when it happens, could be even darker, brighter, and more colorful than the current iteration.

If I Get 8K, What Will I Be Able to Watch on It?

Assuming you find an 8K TV in the next year or two, the answer will be lower-resolution content upconverted to 8K. There's no consumer 8K video content available or on the horizon, and no studios or services have said anything about 8K distribution. Japan's NHK TV network has started experimenting with 8K broadcasts with its "Super Hi-Vision channel" that shows events in both 4K and 8K, but so far they're only being shown in a handful of theaters around Japan. Remember, there's almost no broadcast or otherwise live streaming 4K content even now, though streaming video services and Ultra HD Blu-ray (along with game systems and PCs) have made plenty of 4K video available.

8K doesn't have standard formats for streaming or physical media, and it won't get them any time soon. Commercial content trickles out even slower than the TVs that can display it, and even now most of what you find on Amazon or Netflix will be HD at best. It took years for Ultra HD Blu-ray to shake out as the physical media component for 4K, and for streaming services to get enough 4K movies and shows for the resolution to be more than a novelty. 8K video will see the same path, and it hasn't even started on it.

Will I Need New 8K Devices Too?

Yep, and new cables, too. The new HDMI 2.1 standard supports 8K resolution at up to 60 frames per second, and it requires almost triple the bandwidth of 4K-capable HDMI 2.0. That means your current Blu-ray players, media streamers, and game systems will top out at 4K. You'll need new HDMI 2.1-equipped devices that can process 8K video and output it to an 8K TV. They don't exist yet. Neither do the cables, since the HDMI Forum won't even be releasing its testing specifications for HDMI 2.1 products until later this year.

Basically, don't worry. Your current 4K TV isn't extinct, and if you're looking to upgrade an older screen, a 4K model is the best you can get for some time. Check out our TV product guide for the latest reviews, and read up on how to calibrate your TV for the best possible picture.

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About the Author

Will Greenwald has been covering consumer technology for a decade, and has served on the editorial staffs of CNET.com, Sound & Vision, and Maximum PC. His work and analysis has been seen in GamePro, Tested.com, Geek.com, and several other publications. He currently covers consumer electronics in the PC Labs as the in-house home entertainment expert... See Full Bio

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